Public Lecture by Jasper Schipperijn

Public lecture by Jasper Schipperijn

A More Liveable Perth: how do we create more pedestrian-friendly, less car dependent and more socially inclusive cities?

A public lecture by Jasper Schipperijn, Research Unit for Active Living, University of Southern Denmark and 2016 Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.

In this public lecture, international expert Dr Jasper Schipperijn discussed how neighbourhoods provide opportunities (or barriers) for people’s health and well-being. The physical design and characteristics of the neighbourhood environment influence a range of social and health outcomes. The urban environment influences the way in which we raise families and provide for our future. We can better support our health and well-being by creating more ‘liveable’, compact, pedestrian-friendly, less car dependent and more socially inclusive cities. Dr Schipperijn discussed the latest built environment and child health research.

Associate Professor Jasper Schipperijn is based at the Research Unit for Active Living at the University of Southern Denmark. His expertise is in the promotion of health through the provision of built environments for active living. His research focuses on the relationship between health behaviours (physical activity and sedentary behaviour) and the urban and natural environment in community, school and recreational settings, with a particular focus on children. Dr Schipperijn is recognised internationally for his leadership in methods to objectively describe behaviour and the environment in which it takes place. He has led the development of a specifically designed database systems utilizing data from GIS (Geographic Information Systems), GPS, accelerometer, Bluetooth tracking, and various other sensors. He has applied these methods to intervention studies or natural experiments that involve changes to the built environment such as creating or renovating schoolyards, urban green spaces, public open space, and bicycling facilities. Dr Schipperijn is Principal Investigator for a $6million quasi experimental schoolyard intervention study, and has been instrumental in securing a further $11million in research funding from a number of Danish foundations.

Dr Schipperijn is a 2016 Institute of Advanced Studies Short Stay Visiting Fellow.